Altas target sweep, finals versus Blazers

Games today 9:30 a.m. – LPU vs JRU (m) 11 a.m. – LPU vs JRU (w) 12:30 p.m. – UPHSD vs CSB (w) 2 p.m. – UPHSD vs CSB (m) 3:30 p.m. – UPHSD cs CSB (jrs)

Perpetual Help guns for a sweep of the elims and an outright finals berth as it faces defending champion College of St. Benilde today in the 93rd NCAA men’s volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

The Altas trounced the Letran Knights, 25-20, 25-19, 25-22, last Friday to notch their eighth straight victory and move a win from sweeping their way straight to the best-of-three finals that would also reduce the Final Four into a stepladder semifinals.

“We’re focused on that target and we’ve worked hard for this singular goal of reclaiming the championship,” said Perpetual Help coach Sammy Acaylar.

But the Blazers, already assured of a spot in the next round with a 6-2 card, are going all-out to spoil the Altas’ sweep bid.

“We just want to go into the next round coming off a victory,” said CSB coach Arnold Laniog.

In women’s play, Perpetual Help shoots for an outright Final Four seat while College of St. Benilde tries to stay in the hunt as they clash at 12:30 p.m.

The Lady Altas are currently at third place with a 6-2 (win-loss) slate with a win over the Blazers sending them straight to the Final Four alongside the Arellano U Lady Chiefs and San Beda Lady Red Spikers, the top two seeds with 8-1 cards.

The Las Piñas-based squad downed Letran, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-10, last Friday to assure itself of at least a playoff for a semis berth.